Lighting fixture



Feb. 6, 1945. J. DONNELLY v LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Dec WIU INVENTOR JAMES DON/VELL Y ATTORNF'YY Patented Feb. 6, 1945 LIGHTING FIXTURE JamesDonnelly. Meriden,

Miller Company,- Meride of Connecticut Conm, assignmto The 11, Conn, acorporation Application December 2, 1942, Serial No. 487,576

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to fighting flxtures, and is moreparticularly directed toward continuous direct lighting fixtures such asemploy fluorescent lamps.

Where such lighting fixtures are provided with reflectors with closedends the reflectors are suf-,

ficiently rigid to maintain satisfactory alignment from one reflector tothe next, but, where such fixtures are provided with continuous invertedtrough shaped reflectors open at the ends, the ends being in abuttingrelation, there is a likelihood that the ends of the reflectors will bedisaligned for various reasons.

The present invention contemplates a simple, inexpensive constructionwhereby the ends of the reflectors may be kept in alignment withoutmaking it necessary to employ complicated or expensive devices requiringtroublesome assembly, or rely on extraneous structures.

The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the presentinvention two embodiments in which the invention may take form, togetherwith modifications of certain parts, it being understood that thedrawing is illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a form of constructionsuitable for non-metallic reflectors;

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views on the lines 2-2 and 3-3of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a form of construction suitable formetal reflectors; and

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate modified forms of hinge.

The continuous wiring channel for fluorescent lighting equipment isillustrated at l and may assume any suitable configuration for thepurposes at hand. The non-metallic reflectors are indicated at II, II,their abutting ends at l2, I2. The corners of the ends of the reflectorsare cut away as indicated at I3.

The side walls l4, M of the wiring channel ID are slotted, as indicatedat l Figure 3, and straps I 8 with bent ends I1, I! are hooked 'into theholes in the channel walls. These holes are so spaced that the strapwill be brought opposite the joint formed by the abutting ends of thereflectors. The straps l6, l6 are formed to shape so that they willconform to the contour of the reflector and the lower ends of the strapsare provided with non-removable screws l3. These screws support shortstraps 20 having an elongated slot as indicated at 2|. When the strapbent edges indicated at M. similar to the strap H; are

20 is dangling in the dot-and-dash line position at the left of Figure 1the strap l8 and loose strap 20 can be swung about the hooks as pivotsso as to pass the loose strap through the space provided by cutting awa"the ends of the reflectors. When the stra; I 3 is in the lower or fullline position the stre p 20 can be moved up to the full line positionaere it bridges the gap between the corners of the reflectors and can beclamped in place by tightening up the screw l9. This arrangement hasbeen found very effective for the purpose of keeping the non-metallictrough reflectors in alignment.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 4 the metal reflectors 30 areprovided with lower inwardly Straps 32 generally hingedly carried by theside walls of the wiring channel. The lower ends 33 of the straps 32 arearranged so as to snap around the metal reflectors and hold the ends ofthe reflectors in alignment. The reflectors may be held against thewiring channel by a bolt 34 carried by a cross strap 35.

In Figure 5 the two sections Illa and lb of the wiring channel areindicated with the joint l0c opposite the Joint I2 between the tworeflectors II, II. Here the straps 40, corresponding with the strap l6or with 32 are provided with hooked ends 4|, 4| adapted to be passedthrough angle brackets 42, 42 carried by the side walls of the wiringtrough at the proper spacing from the ends of the troug In thearrangement shown in Figure 6 the side walls of the wiring trough carrypairs of hook shaped brackets 5|, to which a strap 52 similar to thestrap 32 or IE i hinged. The bottom portion of the straps 40 or 52 maybe such as shown in either Figure 1 or Figure 4 depending upon the typeof reflector which being employed.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in otherforms andconstructions within the scopeof the claims, I wish it to be understoodthat the particular forms shown are but a few of these forms, andvarious modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwiselimit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Lighting equipment comprising a continuous horizontal wirewaycomposed of sections secured together end to end, inverted trough shapedreflectors secured to the bottoms of the wireway with their ends inabutting relation and certain the abutting ends of the joints betweenthe ends of the joints formed by e o s even with the of adjacentsections and intermediate said ends. the reflectors being characterizedby an absence of cross bracing whereby spreading of one reflector widerthan an adjacent reflector tends to disalign the reflectors, and meansto maintain vthe adjacent ends of the reflectors in alignment 3.Lighting equipment comprising a continuous horizontal wireway, invertedtrough shaped reflectors secured to the bottoms of the wireway withtheir ends in abutting relation and having their lower corners cut awayto provide space between the reflectors, straps hlngedly secured to eachside of the wireway above the joints formed by the adjacent reflectorends, the straps being of a length and contour to flt about the outersurfaces of the reflector ends, and of a width to bridge the jointbetween the same, and each carrying a bridging strap 'pivotall securedto its lower end and movable from a horizontal position where it bridgesthe space to a vertical position where it can be passed through thespace when the first strap is swung upwardly for detachably clamping thestrap to the lower portions of the reflector ends.

4. In combination, a horizontal wiring channel, two inverted troughshaped reflectors secured to the channel with their ends abutting exceptfor the lowermost comers thereof which are cut back to form a space,astrap hinged to the wiring channel and extending down outside the endsof the reflectors to bridge the joint between the same, a pivot postextending inwardly from the lower end of the strap opposite the saidspace, and a. slotted strap carried by the post, the strap being movablefrom a horizontal position where it contacts the inner surfaces of thetwo reflectors to a vertical position where it can be passed through thesaid space when the first strap is swung upwardly.

JAMES DONNELLY.

